The Trade
by WrittenInTheStars14
Summary: His fate was in her hands, this is how she dealt with it. Oneshot inspired by the new CW episode: Shadow Warrior! SPOILERS INSIDE.


**Hello! So, the new Clone Wars episode (Shadow Warrior) got me motivated to do a fanfic about it! Oneshot...little bit of Anidala fluffyness**

**AN: Nothing here belongs to me...but if I got it for Christmas I'd be uber happy XD**

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><p><strong>(Anakin Skywalker)<strong>

Ever since we had landed on Naboo, everything had gone wrong.

Honestly, I was surprised that the Council appointed ME to go. I was expecting Obiwan to be sent, not me. He was more experienced, and had fought on Naboo more than I had. However, I will admit, I wasn't disappointed to have been assigned to go to Naboo; after all, Padme was going.

Except now, I wish Padme hadn't gone. She could be in danger. With Jar Jar Binx pretending to be Boss Lyonie, and with Loo running about and Separatists around the planet: who knows what could happen.

What I was not expecting when I walked into the cave on the side of the cliff face, was Rish Loo telling someone that he had just brought me here. "Well, Master Skywalker," a familiar man's voice echoed through the stone room. "You're nothing if not relentless. What a surprise."

"Dooku." I growled.

Dooku turned to the Gungan next to him. "You're a fool, Rish Loo." He spoke to him. He ignited his ruby saber and stabbed it through Rish Loo's stomach, before he fell lifelessly to the ground.

I ignited my own azure blade and held it in front of me. "Why bring the war to Naboo?" I shot at the Count.

"How quickly you forget, after all, the war started here all those years ago." Dooku walked around the table, explaining everything.

"You were a part of that first battle…?" I asked curiously.

"The Sith control everything-" Dooku's voice began to rise. "You just don't know it!" He quickly activated his lightsaber and swung at me. After a few quick slashes and parries, we locked together. Though Dooku was not young, he didn't lack strength. We broke and I attacked, he switched to the defending side. I swung my lightsaber down and locked sabers again with him.

He shoved me off and sent two flying lanterns at me. I quickly sliced them in half; one half skidded to a halt Dooku's feet. Two magna guards stepped out of the shadows and ignited their electrostaffs behind Dooku's figure, and then two more appeared from the shadows behind me to do the same.

_Sith spit!_ The two beside me lunged at me, I defended them off, but I was growing tired. One got past my defense and shocked me. I cried out and fell to the ground, but quickly got back up. I could still feel the shocks going through my body, and my mind was racing with everything Dooku had told me.

Did the Sith really rule everything…?

I got in a defensive stance when it dawned on me. This was almost hopeless, but I had to keep going. Dooku waved his hand and all four magna guards came at me. I was quickly surrounded and tried to keep their sizzling staffs away from my body.

Dooku walked through a small passage to get to another room in the cave. I Force-pushed two of the guards ahead of me as I followed, the other two magna guards behind me. I slammed the two front guards into the wall in front of Dooku, as the other two sprang forward. I swung at Dooku and he pulled out his lightsaber just in time to block my blade. We locked together, before the two magna guards swung their electrostaffs at me. I left Dooku and defended from the guards before quickly switching back to Dooku as he began to raise his blood-red lightsaber at me.

Dooku swiveled his lightsaber and rippled mine out of my hand. It clattered to the floor as Dooku turned around and the two magna guards stabbed my back with their staffs. Pain coursed through me as I fell to my hands and knees. The other two guards had gotten back up and all four pressed their electrostaffs onto my back. I screamed as agony ran through my body, but managed to pull out my last bit of strength to crush the four guards into the walls, easing my muscles from the pain of the electricity.

Dooku turned around and Force-pushed me against the wall; my back slammed crushingly into the stone wall. An invisible hand then closed around my neck as Dooku brought me, floating, into the middle of the room. Blackness was already swirling around my vision from the lack of oxygen, but then Dooku shot Force Lightning out of his fingertips at me.

I screamed as my lungs ached for air, and my muscles ached for relief. Relief was soon given as unconsciousness took me over.

The last thing I remember seeing was Dooku's satisfied face as he let me fall limply to the floor.

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><p><strong>(Padme Amidala)<strong>

I stood in the medical wing with Jar Jar as a medic tended to Boss Lyonie.

"Whersa Ani?" Jar Jar Binx asked me, stopping me in my pacing. "Hesa up and gone muy long time!"

"I'm not sure, Jar Jar." I murmured worriedly. My comlink beeped and my heart soared. "Anakin!" I sighed. I eagerly pressed the button, only to be shocked as to who was on the hologram.

"Senator Amidala," Count Dooku addressed me. "We meet again. I must regretfully inform you that young Skywalker has been…detained." He said satisfactorily.

"What." I ground out. "Have you done with Anakin?"

"Now, now, Senator. Let's not become emotional." The Count suggested smugly.

"What do you want, Dooku?" I asked angrily.

"I'm glad you asked. I could be persuaded to return Skywalker to you, in exchange for General Grievous." He proposed the trade.

"I…" I swallowed the large lump in my throat. "I can't do that. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you're about to be." Dooku grinned as the image of Anakin being suspended was then shown on the hologram. Two magna guards shocked his semi-conscious form. He screamed in agony and my heart shattered as my anger grew.

"Stop!" I yelled at the Sith. Thank the Force that Anakin's torment stopped. "You cannot torture a prisoner!" It was a law on Naboo.

"Torture?" The Count asked, he pretended to be shocked. "I don't know what you mean. I'll give you an hour to consider my proposition. I'm sure you will make the right choice." Dooku smiled as he cut the transmition.

I sighed and looked at the floor as Jar Jar spoke. "Yousa have to trade with him!"

"I can't Jar Jar." I explained sadly. I walked to the edge of the platform to look off the edge at the bottom of the large lake. "With Grievous captured…we could win the war!"

"But, but, Padme…" Jar Jar murmured. "Hesa our friend."

"I know." I closed my eyes and sighed before I turned around to gaze at the Gungan "I know, Jar Jar."

"Mesa think yousa have to deal." Jar Jar told me.

"Yousa should listen to Binx." Boss Lyonie spoke, he had heard our whole conversation. "It'sa right."

I realized that it was. I couldn't leave Anakin helpless in Dooku's clutches. We **had** to make the deal.

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><p><strong>LATER…<strong>

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><p>We stood there, waiting for Dooku to bring Anakin. The ship landed in front of us and the door opened.<p>

A droid walked out in front with two behind him, dragging Anakin by his arms, two more accompanied those – they were armed with guns. I fought tears as Anakin hung limply in their mechanical hands.

"Release the General." The droid demanded in a monotone.

General Grievous growled as one of the Gungans poked him with his rod. He then marched forward as the two droids dragged Anakin across the Nabooian land.

Anakin was flung forward, facedown and almost lifelessly at our feet. I crouched down and touched his back, trying to soothe any pain. Anakin's lightsaber was then carelessly tossed at him, bouncing off of him and rolling to the ground. I rolled him over until he rested in my lap.

He cracked his blazing blue eyes open before he spoke. "Padme…" he sighed, closing his eyes against the pain. "I'm sorry."

"Shh." I told him, I didn't want him to feel like he had failed. He didn't. He never did; he just blamed himself. "It's alright, Ani." I looked up to see the ships take off before helping Anakin to his feet. I slung his arm around my shoulders and helped his tired body support its own weight. We carefully walked over towards a medic while Boss Lyonie and the Queen Neeyutnee spoke to Jar Jar.

"You shouldn't have traded." Anakin whispered. He looked over at me, "You should have left me."

"I could never have done that, Ani." I told him. "You know I couldn't have. I don't know what I would do if you died and I didn't do anything to stop it when I could have. I love you, Anakin Skywalker. Don't you ever forget that."

He smiled softly. "I love you, too, Padme."

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><p><strong>THE END! <strong>


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